May 2013

Accountability for Sexual Assault Perpetrators in the Military

Submitted by Roxanne DeMarco on Fri, 05/31/2013 - 10:45

Recent news coverage surrounding sexual assaults in the military has exposed a shockingly widespread pattern of brutality against some of our service members. That sort of violence perpetuated against those who chose to dedicate their lives to protect our country is deplorable.  As is a military system that discourages victims from reporting the incidents in the first place, while failing to respond to those reports that are filed. Even worse, active duty military are actually barred from bringing discrimination or personal injury civil court claims after a sexual assault.

Unequal Harm: Disproportionate Damage to Women from Drugs and Devices

Submitted by Jennifer Fuson on Thu, 05/16/2013 - 13:05

Michelle Garcia of Miami never thought a simple doctor’s office procedure for birth control would result in the removal of both of her fallopian tubes.  Yet last year Michelle underwent surgery to remove Essure, a medical device marketed as a “surgery-free permanent” birth control procedure. It was supposed to be Michelle’s easy solution for birth control for life; instead, it was her worst nightmare, requiring surgery to remove the coils and both damaged fallopian tubes.

Women suffer disproportionately from faulty drugs and medical devices, and Michelle is just one example.  As part of National Women’s Health Week, the American Association for Justice (AAJ) has released “Unequal Harm: The Disproportionate Damage to Women from Dangerous Drugs and Medical Devices,” an analysis detailing a history of a few of the many products that have harmed women over the years.

Ranbaxy Settlement Shows Need for Generic Drug Accountability

Submitted by Jennifer Fuson on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 15:05

As if we needed another example of the need to hold generic drug makers accountable to the same standard as brand names, there is this disturbing story from The New York Times. A drug maker named Ranbaxy was churning out generic versions of a number of common drugs, including the epilepsy drug, gabapentin.  But in 2007, it admitted to the Food and Drug Administration that certain batches of the drug had tested positive for “unknown impurities.” 

Bipartisan Bill Addresses Foreign Corporate Liability in U.S.

Submitted by Jennifer Fuson on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 11:44

78% of 2012 CPSC Recalls from Foreign Makers According to Analysis